Even though I write about beauty and try the latest and greatest skin-care products, I face my share of acne—especially body acne, as I work out several times a week. Although I’ve tested hundreds of spot treatments, serums, and lotions, the best product for banishing body acne isn’t some secret holy grail find. Rather, I picked it up at the drugstore a few years back and I have been a loyal fan ever since.
The Bottle
AcneFree Body Clearing Acne Spray, which sells for about $ 10 to $ 12 a bottle, is designed with application in mind. The spray, which disperses in a continuous, fine mist, is fast-drying and non-sticky. You can apply it to your chest, back, butt—pretty much all the hard-to-reach areas. The can adroitly sprays from any angle, which allows me (someone who isn’t super-bendy, despite my regular yoga practice) to cover my affected areas in seconds flat. Plus, it has a locking twist cap to prevent accidental messes.
The Ingredients
This formula is chock full of good-for-your-skin stuff and is arguably one of the most comprehensive acne-fighting formulas I’ve ever found. Top pimple-fighting ingredients in the spray include glycolic acid, an AHA; 2% salicylic acid, a BHA; and niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3.
“Glycolic acid exfoliates and helps to regulate skin cell shedding, while salicylic acid cuts through oils and grease to get to pores,” explains Mona Gohara, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University. “Niacinamide is an excellent anti-inflammatory,” she adds, noting it helps to mitigate the redness that often accompanies angry body acne. The spray is also infused with aloe to help further calm redness.
The Experience
As a very active and therefore very sweaty person, body zits are a part of my life. Generally, they’ll magically appear somewhere on my chest, back, or butt (TMI, maybe, but I’m just trying to paint a picture for you!), and that’s where my lack of bendiness comes into play. While my back and butt are not technically hard-to-reach places, they are tricky locations to target with an acne spot treatment.
The drying time for AcneFree Body Clearing Acne Spray is incredibly fast—think under 30 seconds—which allows me to follow up my routine with a body lotion or oil shortly thereafter without having to stress that the zit-busting formula hasn’t soaked in. Since it’s a clear formula, it doesn’t stain or even leave damp marks on fabrics.
In the time that I’ve been using the spray, I’ve found that treating a flare-up takes only 48 to 72 hours. While that may sound like a long time, it’s really not. I would estimate this body spray shaves a full week off of my usual pimple recovery time.
There is one downside to this product, though: It has a bit of a strong chemical smell, kind of like rubbing alcohol. It’s not strong enough to make me sneeze, but something I admit that I will layer on an extra spritz or two of my favorite fragrance after application.
Nonetheless, this acne treatment is almost too good to be true and it’s a must-have for me.
Buy It: AcneFree Body Spray, $ 10
Related: The 9 Best Skin-Care Tips I’ve Learned in 10 Years of Being a Beauty Editor